Stabilized sulfite solutions



Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STABILIZED SULFITE SOLUTIONS Louis De Mytt and Raymond E. Reed, St. Paul, Minn, assignors to Raymond Laboratories, Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota No Drawing. Application July 27, 1946, Serial No. 686,718

5 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to stabilized sulfite solutions and more particularly to such solutions which are resistant to oxidation.

Aqueous sulfite solutions tend to deteriorate with the passage of time when they are exposed to the atmosphere and other sources of oxygen. Sulfite solutions intended for use in the permanent waving of hair, for example, are commonly sold in containers holding enough solution for several permanent waves. manufacturer is careful to provide the sulfite waving lotion in tightly sealed containers and unless the beautician uses the entire contents of the container within a relatively short time, say within a day or two, significant deterioration in the effectiveness of the solution is likely to result. In many instances it has been found that the solutions are seriously deteriorated even be fore they reach the beauty shop, and it often happens that the bottle remains in the shop for weeks and even for months before it is completely used. Every time the container is opened and air is allowed to enter, the solution is subjected to deterioration, which proceeds at a more andmore rapid rate as the air space in the bottle increases after each use. There is also the constantly present hazard that the bottle may be inadvertently left open to the air for a time before the stopper is replaced.

For these and other reasons many lotions containing sulfite are rendered practically useless for permanent waving purposes by exposure to atmospheric oxygen before they are used. Similar problems are encountered with other types of sulfite solutions in other industrial and commercial applications.

It is known that such deterioration can be supa pressed to some extent by the addition of antioxidants such as certain alcohols, quinones and amines, for example, mannitol, glycol, lauryl a1- cohol, hydroquinone and triethanolamine. some of these agents are objectionable because they impart color and staining properties to the sul' fite solutions, thus rendering them unfit for many uses, and all of them are ineffective to prevent serious loss of reducing power when a sulfite so-' lution containing them is exposed to the air over prolonged periods of time. Further, many of these agents are themselves not sufficiently stable in sulfite solutions to retain their antioxidant power'long enough to be of practical value.

Deterioration of sulfite solutions through oxidation is accelerated by the presence in the solution of various metals which appear to exert'a catalytic effect. We have found that copper is Unless the one of the worstoffenders in this respect and that manganese, iron, andcobaltalso promote oxidation. It has beenfound, however, that oxidation occurs in sulfite solutions exposed to the atmosphere inspite of the most painstaking efforts to exclude all metal contaminants. From this it appears that the presence of a catalytic metal is not 'essential'to the deterioration of the sulfite solution.

The resistance of sulfite solutions to deterioration by oxidation can be improved by the use in conjunction with antioxidants of metal deactivating agents such as organic materials which form a complex with the metals and thus remove them from the sphere of action. It is difficult or impossible to exclude these metals completely from sulfite solutions which are manufactured on a commercial scale. They may be present-as impurities in the water supplyor may'originate from metallic piping, bottling equipment, and fiomthe' reaction vessels in which the solutions are processed. The'metallic contaminants show a significant catalytic activity-even when they are present in such small amountsas a few parts per million. V

. The presence ofan antioxidant in the sulfite solutions tends to offset the catalytic effect of the metals, but even the most effective of the known antioxidants will not completely prevent deterioration of solutions which contain the catalytic metals. The practical necessity of employing a metal deactivator in association with the antioxidant not only'adds to the cost of the solution but complicates the problem of selecting these two stabilizing factors so that they will not detract, individually or collectively, from the usefulness of the sulfite solution for the intended,

purpose.

I An object of the present invention is to provide sulfite compositions of improved stability. Another object is to provide sulfite solutions of improved resistance to deterioration by oxidation notwithstanding the presence therein of metallic contaminants which promoteoxidation. 1 A further objectis to provide sulfite solutions of improved'stability and resistance to oxidation but which, nevertheless, are .free from color and staining propertiesia'nd otherwise suitable for general use. An additional object is to provide sulfite solutions of ir'nproved resistance to deterioration by oxidation which will retain this improved resistance over prolonged periods of time.

An additional object is to provide permanent waving lotions which contain a sulfite and which show improved resistance to deterioration by exposure to the air.

The present invention provides a class of sulfite compositions which are remarkably resistant to deterioration when they are exposed to the atmosphere or other sources of oxygen. Solutions of these compositions are highly resistant to oxidation even when they contain relatively large proportions of the metals which promote oxida tion of sulfite solutions.

Generally the compositions of the present invention comprise sulfite containing compositions which include one or more compoundssfrom the class of water-soluble aminorpolycarboxylic acids and salts thereof. These compounds may monoamino or polyamino compounda.

An example of a member of this class which. has been found to be effective is the tri-sodium salt of triacetic acid amine, which has the structural formula:

.nother example of a member. of this; class: which hasbeen foundtobe effective: is sodiumversinate. This isarnitrogenous substance which behaves similarly to the tetrasodium salt of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid .inithe'presence of a sulfide and'protects' sodium:sulfite:solutions against deteriorationbyoxidationi even though the solution contains'one or more oi-tlie metals which promote oxidation.

Particularly effective: compounds belonging to this class are the water soluble alkylene. polyamine polyacetic acids having the general for.- mula:

11000- a (km-coon- GHr-OOOE wherein a: is 0 ora positive'integer; and'the alkylene groups containnot' more-than four carbon atoms each, and salts thereof:

A typical example of the compounds of this latter class which havebeen found to" be highly efiective for our purposes is is the: tetra sodium: salt of ethylene-diamine tetra acetica'cid, which has the structural formula:

CHi-OOONa CHa-N' orn-QooNa- CH-COONQ. C,H2-N/ CHr-C'OONa We have found sulfite solutions containing this compound to be very resistant to deterioration by oxidation'even when'the sulfitesolutions contain the said catalytic metals in concentrations which render the known antioxidants largelyineiiective.

The following examples; in. which the? parts are by weight, illustrate sulfitesoiutions: in accordance with the present invention". which: are resistant to deterioration by oxidation:

Example I A l. N aqueous sodium sulfitesolutiont-was'preparedan'd.buffered-toapHof about 9 by the-addi.- tion ofapproximately 6% of ammonium car.- bonate. To this solution was added 1% ofthe tetra.- sodium. salt of ethylene. diamine=tetra acetic acid;v

CH2-OO OH Example II A 1 N aqueous sodium sulfite solution was prepared and buffered to a pH of about 9 by the addition of approximately 6% of ammonium carbonate. To this solution was added 1% of the tri sodium salt of tri acetic acid amine.

Example III A 1 N aqueous sulfite solution was prepared and buiiered to a pH of about 9 by the addition of approximately 6% of ammonium carbonate. To this solution was added 1% of tetra sodium versinate.

The stabilizedrcompositions of these examples were observed to befree from color and staining properties.

As an example of the resistance of the sulfite solutions of the present invention to oxidation, a 20 ml. portion of an aqueous sulfite solution, buffered to a pH of about 0 by the addition of about 6% of' ammonium carbonate, containing 1 by weight ofthe tetra sodium salt of ethylene diamine tetra acetic-acid and 10 partsper mil'-- lion of copper showed no significant loss of" sulfite; as determined iodimetricallmafterrz l hours" of vigorous agitation ina 50 ml; Erlenmeyer flask with free access of air.

It has been found that sulfite solutionswhich contain a sulfite and a relatively small amount of the water-soluble amino polycarboxylic acid 01" salt thereof are effectively resistant to deterioration by oxidation. S'ulfite solutions containing the tetra sodium salt of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, for'example, in an amount assmall as 0.025% (based on the weight of the sulfite solution) show an appreciable improvement in resistance to oxidation ascompared with asimilar sulfite'solutlon. which does not contain the tetra sodium salt'ofethylene diamine tetra acetic acid. Generally, sulfite' solutions containlng less than5"%' of the'water-soluble amino polycarboxylic'acid'or salt thereof are-preferred, but larger proportions" may beused.

Thesulfite compositions ofthe' present inven-' tion comprise various types of sulfit'es; for ex ample, regular sulfite, bisulfite'and metabisulfite.

These compositions may be'prepared dry andthen subsequently, forexample, after shipment and storage, be converted to a stabilized sulfite solution by the addition of'water;

We claim:

1. Stable alkaline sulfitehair waving solution comprising an alkaline suliitesalt and an alkalinebuffering salt to bufierthe solution thereof in the substantially alkaline pH range, dissolved in water containing small quantities of multivalent ions of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, manganese and'iron normally tending to accelerate oxidation of the. sulfite and a small quantity of a sequestering agent for said ions, selected from the group consisting of water-soluble tertiary amino polycarboxylic acids? and salts thereof;

2. Stable: alkaline sulfite hair. waving, solution comprising an. alkaline sulfite salt, buffered with analkaline-carbonateto a substantially alkaline pH. range, dissolved in water: containing small quantities of. multivalent ions of at least one metal selected from theigroup consisting of cop'- per, cobalt, manganese andiron, normally tending to acoelerate oxidation ofthe white and asmall quantity of a sequestering agent for said ions, selected-from the group consisting of watersolubletertiaryamino polycarboxylic acids and salts thereof.

in which x is from zero to a positive integer and the alkylene groups contain not more than 4 carbon atoms each, and salts thereof.

4. Stable alkaline sulfite hair waving solution comprising an alkaline sulfite salt and an alkaline buffering salt for buffering the solution thereof in the substantially alkaline pH range, dissolved in water containing small quantities of multivalent ions of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, manganese and iron normally tending to accelerate oxidation of the sulfite and a small quantity of a sequestering agent for said ions comprising a soluble salt of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid.

CH2COOH 6 5. Stable alkaline sulfite hair waving solution comprising an alkaline sulfite salt and an alkaline bufiering salt for buffering the solution thereof in the substantially alkaline pH range, dissolved in water containing small quantities of m-ultivalent ions of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, man ganese and iron normally tending to accelerate oxidation of the sulfite and a small quantity of a sequestering agent for said ions comprising a soluble salt of tri acetic acid amine.

LOUIS DE MYTT.

RAYMOND E. REED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Date 1,869,469 Divine Aug. 2, 1932 2,061,709 Malone Nov. 24, 1936 2,073,923 Crocker Mar. 16, 1937 2,110,274 Mikeska Mar. 8, 1938 2,168,181 Ulrich Aug. 1, 1939 2,420,122 Chenicek May 6, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 601,078 Germany Aug. 7, 1934 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,506,492 May 2, 1950 LOUIS DE MYTT ET AL.

It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, line 40, for glycol read glycerol; column 3, line 30, for sulfide reag sulfite; column 4, line 20, for the indistinct numeral after the word about rea 9;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein form to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

*sealed this 18th day of July, A. D. 1950.

JOE E. DANIELS,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

1. STABLE ALKALINE SULFITE HAIR WAVING SOLUTION COMPRISING AN ALKALINE SULFITE SALT AND AN ALKALINE BUFFERING SALT TO BUFFER THE SOLUTION THEREOF IN THE SUBSTANTIALLY ALKALINE PH RANGE, DISSLOVED IN WATER CONTAINING SMALL QUANTITIES OF MULTIVALENT IONS OF AT LEAST ONE METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, COBALT, MANGANESE AND IRON NORMALLY TENDING TO ACELERATE OXIDATION OF THE SULFITE AND A SMALL QUANTITY OF A SEQUESTERING AGENT FOR SAID IONS, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER-SOLUBLE TERTIARY AMINO POLYCARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND SALTS THEREOF. 